Paul Murphy: 'Something rotten' in Anbor Planala, calls for overhaul
Paul Murphy criticised alleged misconduct at Anbor Planala following a series of reports published by the Ditch and demanded major reform of the planning system. He argued the planning authority is "absolutely broken" and called for democratic oversight and limits on large electronic billboards near homes.
Allegations reported by the Ditch
The Ditch published a sequence of allegations dating from April to September, including claims that Paul Hyde defaulted on loans and failed to declare legal ownership of properties, that he and other board members approved or refused permissions where relatives or clients were involved, and that members repeatedly voted on applications in their own neighbourhoods.
Patterns of contested decision-making
Mr Murphy highlighted repeated procedural concerns - two board members deciding cases where three were required, a claim that 65% of SHD alteration cases were ruled on unlawfully with only two members, instances of members voting on up to 26 cases and meetings held without a third member, and rare dissent among members on hundreds of strategic housing applications.
Specific case examples and conflicts
He cited allegations that board members approved developments within walking distance of their homes, that a senior counsel nominated to chair an investigation had acted in cases before the authority, and that the chairperson approved a data centre less than a kilometre from his home. He also noted cases where inspectors were overruled to block apartment schemes near a board member's residence.
Call for a new democratic planning system
Mr Murphy urged a new system that gives affected communities, housing groups, trade unions, environmental groups and others democratic oversight and control of planning and development. He framed these reforms as necessary to restore public trust in planning decisions.
Objections to large electronic billboards
He criticised the erection of massive electronic billboards outside people’s homes, citing examples in Rathmines near children’s bedroom windows and arguing they are distracting for motorists, consume large amounts of energy and should not be allowed for environmental and community reasons.
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There is something rotten in Anbor Planala and the only reason that we know that is the work and the stories published by the Ditch in particular over a period of about six months of very serious stories about what has been happening with Anbor Planala and I want to list just briefly some of the very many allegations that have been published on there. It started on the 6th of April with a report that Paul Hyde defaulted on loans and failed to declare his legal ownership of three properties in the 2021 register as required by law. On the 12th of April the allegation that he signed off on a controversial bill to rent development on which his brother's company had worked. On the 13th of April that he did not declare a conflict of interest when refusing planning permission for a development beside land owned by his firm. On the 22nd of April that he did not recuse himself during 2019 and 2020 from at least a further six housing development applications on which his brother's company had worked. On the 27th of April that he had voted against a proposed housing scheme on a site bordering development land owned by his father. On the 6th of May that he had appointed a controversial planning application, approved controversial planning application made by his sister-in-law. These are allegations made by his sister-in-law in relation to a property she co-owns with his brother. On the 11th of May another board member voted on at least three planning applications in the Dublin 6th suburb where she lived. One of these was less than 400 metres from her home. On the 13th of May that she approved planning permission for a development brought by one of her company's clients. On the 31st of May that the Director of Planning, a different person, signed off on three major housing development applications brought by her husband's clients. One of those just 500 metres from her home. On the 2nd of June that she assigned herself to a planning application in her own neighbourhood. On the 7th of June that a board member did not declare her interest in a successful planning appeal when her architecture company made the appeal on behalf of her next-door neighbour of 15 years. On the 9th of June that Mr Hyde granted planning permission to a property developer represented by his former board colleague Michael Leahy. On the 15th of June that he did not declare a conflict of interest when he refused a campaign group a hearing on a flood defence scheme now subject to Supreme Court proceedings. On the 16th of June that another board member voted on a further 15 planning applications in her own Dublin neighbourhood. On the 30th of June that just two board members refused a challenge against a controversial intel expansion in County Kildare, despite there being a legal requirement for three board members to make such decisions. On the 7th of July when considering strategic housing developments, board members only disagreed with each other twice out of 400 applications. On the 12th of July that two board members were deciding up to 26 planning cases and meeting held without a third board member. On the 14th of July two more board members voted on at least three developments in their own neighbourhoods. On the 14th of July despite there being a legal requirement for three members to determine, again two people were doing so. On the 21st of July Mr Hyde twice granted planning permission in cases involving his cousin. On the 29th of July on board Planala unlawfully ruled on 65% of cases involving alterations to SHDs fast-tracked with two board members acting. On the 5th of August Mr Hyde granted planning permission to his cousin. On the 8th of August another board member voted on at least six planning applications where they lived. On the 2nd of September the senior counsel set to chair the investigation had recently acted in at least three cases before the planning authority. On the 6th of September the chairperson voted to approve a data centre less than a kilometre from his home. On the 15th of September today a board member twice overruled a planning inspector to block 47 apartments less than half a kilometre from her Dublin 8 home. Our planning system is absolutely broken. We need a new system that allows affected communities, housing groups, trade unions, environmental groups and others to have democratic oversight and control of planning and development. The final point I want to make is about the obscene monstrosities of massive electronic billboards being erected outside people's homes. In the case of Rathmines outside children's bedroom windows with little or no consultation. Why are we allowing these monstrosities which are deliberately distracting for motorists and which use as much energy as three households which are being restricted in France and Germany for that reason? Why are we allowing these to happen? We simply should not be doing for environmental and for community reasons allowing such monstrosities to be erected.
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